Mysteries of Inspector Gamache

A Great Reckoning’ by Louise Penny has an interesting narrative, which makes the book a page turner

Louise Penny delivers yet again with a gripping mystery in the latest installment of Inspector Gamache series. A crime mystery that isn’t saturated with suspense and driven primarily by context and character progression is a staple in the series.

This approach brings the reader closer to the tale being spun thereby allowing for a lasting immersive experience. You deeply feel for the characters, especially the reoccurring ones that have just gotten better over the many pages and novels. Long time readers of the series will appreciate the fact that these familiar characters have still many secrets to reveal, pearls of wisdom to throw and insults to spare.

Armand Gamache isn’t Chief Inspector at the Sûreté du Québec. Readers who have been travelling along with Inspector Gamache will find the change of perspective refreshing. In his pursuit to cleanse the Sûreté of the rot, the corruption and abuse of the old order he came to a realisation that the core problem is within the Academy.

As the new commander of the Sûreté Academy, he plans to reshape its principles and its pupils. But malice is a sour loser and a dirty rival.

Gamache hopes to eliminate stomp out the ideology rather than the person. He institutes a change in the rules and curriculum of the Academy while still retaining the culprits that caused the ruin of the Sûreté.

He aims to crush them, oppose their evil fury with the force of righteous forgiveness. This ambitious plan is fraught with risk.

He plays a risky game with cards close to his heart. His strategy keeps swinging between prudent and frustrating when he doesn’t let other help him in his endeavours. A murder under his watch throws a wrench in his plans and puts him in the suspect’s chair.

The clue connecting and making matters muddy is a mysterious map of three pines that pops up predominantly throughout the investigation.

Nestled into the Québec countryside ‘Three Pines’ offers an apt setting for the mystery. It is a secluded small settlement home to the chosen few eccentrics. It has featured many times in the series but its charm is exemplified in the wintery setting.

The author manages to thread the fine line of adding more layers to the settings, characters and stories from the prequels without turning the narrative recycled or stale.

Louise Penny through her characters delivers some of the best dialogue unmatched in the wit and quip. Ruth is a nasty sour wise old woman whose words seem foul but are as nuanced and layered as her poetry.

Olivier and Gabri, a bickering gay couple, run the village bistro. There is the aloof goofy renowned painter Clara and then the book loving a confrontational black woman, Myra. We only get a glimpse at the complex nature of their relationship. Their dynamic is confounding; they make for unconventional friendships but somehow still manage to seem natural and obvious.

The author weaves a bittersweet conclusion that is equal parts satisfying and frustrating. Few crime mysteries are worth the time and effort of a re-read; once the mystery is resolved they rapidly lose their value.

‘A Great Reckoning’ is one of the few exceptions. A narrative which drives you to binge read on the first go to discover the hidden answers while offering something else entirely new the second time around. New readers will be driven to get a hold of the prequels. No matter which kind you are, once you know Inspector Gamache he will become a part of you and your library.

By: Shirish Amirineni